ANNUAL REPORT, 1932 



23 



1. Some of the moths are killed and many more are driven off of the sprayed 

 area. 



2. Most of the eggs well hit by a spray of 1 quart of nicctine sulfate in 100 

 gallons of water fail to hatch. This oviridal action would be more valuable were 

 it not so difficult to reach a high percentage of the eggs without running up the 

 cost by applying a great amount of the spray. 



3. Cranberry vines and berries treated with a spray of 1 1/3 quarts of nicotine 

 sulfate in 100 gallons cf water strongly repel the moths from laying their eggs for 

 at least 5 days. This occurred in cages both in the laboratory and on a bog, the 

 moths having been introtluced some time after the treatment was applied and 

 living in most cases till well toward the end of the test. 



Control of the cranberry spittle insect. The general experience of cranberry 

 growers and the results of the season's study indicate that it requires 1 1/3 quarts 

 of nicotine sulfate and 4 pounds of soap in 100 gallons of water applied at the rate 

 of 400 gallons to the acre to control this pest where water for flooding is not avail- 

 able. Pyrethrum sprays and dust fail to check it properly. 



Weather Observations. (H. J. Franklin.) Daily local weather observations 

 were made and reported to the office of the Weather Bureau at Boston. Further 

 records bearing on frost forecasting were made for the station by observers at 

 North Harwich, East Gloucester, Carlisle, Fitchburg, Worcester, and HoUiston. 



Cranberry Varieties. (H. J. Franklin.) The study of varieties was con- 

 tinued during the early months of 1932. A comparative study of their characters 

 in detail, as related to their places of origin, revealed the fact that the native cran- 

 berry floras of New Jersey, the Massachusetts mainland, and outer Cape Cod have 

 had significant separate evolutions. 



Bog Irrigation. (H. J. Franklin.) On J\dy 20, 1932, during a drought, a 

 square area of bog surface of 100 square feet was wet with 150 gallons of water 

 (about 65,250 gallons per acre), and on this plot two thermometers were placed 

 a few feet apart with their bulbs at the same height as the cranberry flowers and 

 young fruit (about 41 inches above the bog surface.) For comparison two other 

 thermometers were similarly placed on the bog about 30 feet outside the watered 

 plot. All the thermometers were occasionally shifted in location to get as accurate 

 averages of the relative temperatures as possible. The results were as follows: 



On July 23 a second plot, like the one wateretl on July 20, was wet with 150 

 gallons of water, and 25 gallons more were added on July 25 at 7 a. m. Two ther- 

 mometers were placed on this plot also. The following table records the average 

 temperatures on the two watered plots and the unwatered -"heck. 



